The Brexit Party’s Chief Whip on Brexit campaign tactics

“Splitting the Leave vote works both ways”

Guest article by Brian Monteith MEP

Today the Brexit Party will launch its official campaign for the General Election.

What follows is a guest article, edited and improved for Brexit Facts4EU.Org readers by its author. Brian Monteith is the Chief Whip of the Brexit Party, based in Brussels. He was formerly a Member of the Scottish Parliament from 1999 to 2007.

In his article Mr Monteith addresses the crucial question facing large numbers of pro-Brexit voters ahead of the General Election on 12 December 2019: that of the possibility of “splitting” the Leave vote where Brexit Party and Conservative Party candidates are standing in the same constituency.

Splitting the Leave vote works both ways

By Brian Monteith MEP, Chief Whip of the Brexit Party

Is the Brexit Party going to split the potential “Leave” vote? Will it cost Boris Johnson the election and thus extinguish any hope of achieving Brexit?

These are questions I hear often and see on Twitter regularly, usually emanating from those of a Conservative Party disposition. In one regard it displays an unconscious sense of entitlement, that Brexit is owned by the Conservative Party and no one else. That only the Conservatives can deliver Brexit – when the last three years has tested that theory to destruction.

In another regard it displays a degree of arrogance that amounts to hubris, and hubris is always dangerous for politicians of any colour. All of those who support Leave need to pull back from talk of splitting and instead talk of building.

What about Peterborough and Brecon & Radnorshire?

Evidence for the claim of the Brexit Party splitting the vote often takes the form of quoting the Peterborough and Brecon & Radnorshire by-elections, arguing that had the Brexit Party not contested those seats the Conservatives could have won when instead they lost to Labour and the Liberal Democrats respectively. These examples are disingenuous.

In Peterborough the Brexit Party’s candidate, the local entrepreneur and philanthropist Mike Green came a close second. It is fair to claim that had the Conservative candidate not stood then the Brexit Party could have won the Labour-held seat quite comfortably. If any party split the ‘Leave’ vote it was the Conservatives, not the new kids on the block.

In Brecon & Radnorshire the circumstances were naturally different. The reason the Conservatives lost the by-election was that their former leader, Theresa May, agreed to standing the former MP Chris Davies, who had been subject to a successful recall vote by the voters.

Had the party stood an entirely new face, the electorate could have found it easier to stay true to the party and secure a victory. Instead, faced with a Tory candidate that many had already petitioned to have removed, enough of the Leave support either voted Brexit Party or stayed at home. Theresa May’s decision was one of self-harm to her party, possibly a parting shot at whoever came after her.

Beautiful Brecon

Let’s ignore false examples and focus on the General Election

So let’s ignore these false examples, for they tell us nothing about the general election. The reality on the ground is that for Boris Johnson to obtain a working majority he must not only gain Conservative seats, he must also see the party closest to him suffer a reduction in number. It makes sense for the Conservatives to target 40 or more Labour marginals, especially where those constituencies voted Leave and have Remain-supporting MPs. These constituencies will also be fertile territory for the Brexit Party to contest, as the Brexit Party has found it is especially appealing to traditional working-class Labour voters.

What is also possible is that if both the Conservative and Brexit parties stand in those seats they may split the vote and Labour may come through the middle to hold the seat. It can thus be argued (and is argued) that the Brexit Party should not fight these marginals.

The same argument is put in Tory marginals where Labour or the Liberal Democrats are snapping at the heels of Tory MPs, on the basis that “splitting” the Leave vote will hand the seat over to the best placed Remain challenger. Tactical voting by remainers might add to this possibility.

Should the Brexit Party stand candidates in all seats?

As a result of these calculations a great deal of pressure via the media is being put on Nigel Farage and Richard Tice to pull back from standing Brexit Party candidates across the country. Go and fight Labour seats with Remain-supporting MPs is the call, but lay off seats where Tories might lose or could make gains.

Such a strategy might at first glance look good on paper but it is actually counter-productive to the Conservative desire to win an outright majority. Remember, the Conservatives must not only win seats but see Labour lose some. It helps the Conservatives for the Brexit Party to do well by taking as many of Labour’s leave-supporting seats as possible – most especially where the Conservatives are very far behind.

The Brexit Party has more clout than the Conservatives in some areas

From my personal experience as a one-time Conservative member for thirty years, who served two terms as a member of the Scottish Parliament, and then fought and won a European Parliament seat in Labour’s heartland of North East of England for the Brexit Party, I know there are many, many Labour voters who will never vote Conservative. They are not backwards at coming forward to tell me this. They will, however, consider voting for the Brexit Party and in May of this year they turned out in huge numbers to do so.

Labour voters and politicians also tell me privately that if Brexit Party candidates do not stand against Conservatives it will be taken as proof that Farage’s new party is really the Tories in disguise and this will prevent Labour voters switching to them. It is therefore to be expected - and indeed in the Conservative Party’s own self-interest - that in the hundreds of safe Tory or Labour seats the Brexit and Tory candidates fight each other.

I know there are many Labour constituencies in the Midlands, Wales, coastal communities and other regions of the UK where similar opportunities for the Brexit Party to those in the North East pertain. If one can argue that by standing Brexit candidates in Conservative target seats is splitting the Leave vote, then it holds true that were the Conservatives to stand ‘paper candidates’ in Labour Leave seats that undermine Brexit Party chances – then they are without doubt “splitting the leave vote” to their own cost.

Yet nowhere do I see it acknowledged on Twitter by those Conservatives I follow that the Tory party should stand down any of its candidates. This is where we come back to the entitlement and the hubris. It is entirely possible that even if Brexit Party candidates do not contest Conservative target seats but they still face Tory opponents in Labour Leave-supporting seats, then Boris Johnson might yet fail to win enough of his own MPs for an outright majority.

In that event they will not have the benefit of Brexit Party MPs that can support the delivery of Brexit at Westminster.

Splitting the Leave vote works both ways and it is time for the Conservative Party and its supporters to recognise this

There is no doubt the Brexit Party has grown quickly enough to be able to stand candidates in every mainland British constituency – and we know that as a national party the Tories have done so at every election since the Unionist Party in Scotland accepted the Conservative name in 1965.

Choosing not to contest every seat is for both parties a big ask. Nevertheless deciding not to stand in certain constituencies but still contest each other in many other seats could maximise both parties’ chances while leaving them free to keep their dignity and defeat the Remain alliance once and for all.

During that interview, President Trump said “I’d like to see you and Boris get together because you would really have some numbers, because you did fantastically in the last election.”

No formal pact appears to be possible, partly because the Prime Minister has repeatedly ruled it out and partly because Mr Farage is insisting on a clean break Brexit being back on the table - something which the PM will not accept.

In his article above, Brian Monteith eloquently restates the question of tactical cooperation to the Prime Minister the other way around. He effectively asks why the Conservatives don’t stand down in seats they have no hope of winning.

The continuing bias of the BBC

On the BBC’s website this morning they can barely bring themselves to mention Nigel Farage. Here is what they say at the top of their article:

“Donald Trump has criticised Boris Johnson's Brexit deal with the EU, saying it restricts the US's ability to do future trade with the UK.

“Speaking to LBC, he said that, without the deal, the two countries could "do many times the numbers" than now.”

Speaking to LBC? Naturally this is true, but wholly disingenuous. The President of the United States was talking to Nigel Farage. This is just another example of the insidious and continual bias of the BBC. You do not have to be a fan of Mr Farage to see this, nor to see the endemic anti-Brexit bias of the BBC as a whole.

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Reader Comments 25

1. Concerned , Friday, November 01, 2019, 07:47:

I think the Brexit Party should be prepared to contest every seat.
Yesterday Nigel interview with Donald was excellent but if Boris is not careful he will ignore the advice of Donald (like May did) and fail.

2. Sydney Ashurst , Friday, November 01, 2019, 08:23:

The Brexit Party must have worked out the Labour seats that they can win on the Brexit ticket. At a guess they will have to target about 60. Stand in the seats the Conservatives cannot win. Then see how the Conservatives respond. Brian Monteith's arguments about who would be splitting the vote are valid
There is no reason why the BP should not stand in unwinnable LibDem or SNP seats, but is a waste of money and effort.

3. Not4EU●, London , Friday, November 01, 2019, 09:21:

Have they found the ditch that Boris is lying dead in yet?

4. James Bertram , Friday, November 01, 2019, 09:38:

11am today is when Farage launches his election campaign. Then he should reveal all (hide your eyes, children).
-
Remarkable scoop by Farage, yesterday, totally knocked the Labour launch and agenda into oblivion (there is only the Trump story featuring on last night's and today's headlines and discussion). Masterful start by a top politician that puts the Brexit Party firmly back in the limelight. [What I loved was there was a call by Donald Trump followed by Mick from Essex, each given the same respect - Farage really knows how to include people, and this is just great for democracy] .
-
The Tories really will be fools if they decline to make a pact with him. [Do you really leave Pele out of your World Cup team?]

5. Donald Trump , Friday, November 01, 2019, 09:40:

This website is really great, it’s really very outstanding.
I have a great time - a fantastic time - reading your information every morning. You guys have a tough job and you are doing a very fine job, a fantastic job.
I hope that you’re getting a massive amount of support from the wonderful, very special people there in the UK. The UK is a tremendous country with incredible people that deserve better, much better and you could do so much better.
You’re doing a great thing for your country, I like it a lot, I do like it a lot.

6. Jon, Wales , Friday, November 01, 2019, 10:04:

An excellent scoop by Nigel Farage speaking 1-on-1 with POTUS yesterday. One may think our national broadcaster would report the positives of this, but as usual they maintain their biased reporting. Even their 'flagship' political offering [Question Time] is biased with an uneven panel.
Prime Minister Johnson should seriously reflect on working with Mr Farage because we all want the same thing. FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION.
Whilst No.10 remains stubborn, it allows the formation of a remain alliance, despite the largest mandate in the history of our country.
Prospective Parliamentary Candidates need to remember one very important matter - Parliament asked the electorate to make a decision and a majority LEAVE vote was returned.
If PPCs believe they can continue to deceive the electorate, they are much mistaken.
PRIME MINISTER, COUNTRY BEFORE PARTY PLEASE ON THIS IMPORTANT MATTER OF DELIVERING BREXIT.
Boris can be a hero, or he will be written into history as yet another failed Tory PM whom deceived the electorate.
BULLDOG SPIRIT BORIS, AND NEVER SURRENDER - or you may as well type out your resignation now?

7. Sydney Ashurst , Friday, November 01, 2019, 10:26:

Question Time another unbalanced panel with Irish MEP and first Vice President Mairead McGuinness. She spoke of the withdrawal agreement as though it is a fantastic offer to the Citizens of of the United Kingdom in response to their withdrawal decision.
Did I detect some booing to the panels answers by the Birmingham audience.

8. Sad , Friday, November 01, 2019, 10:33:

Question Time being described as a flagship programme is a bot of an oxymoron. It is the most biased programme on TV, has been for a long time.

9. Concerned , Friday, November 01, 2019, 10:53:

Express today "Revealed: How John Bercow stopped Brexit TWICE and 'plunged UK into constitutional crisis'" - yet he was heralded in the commons as if he has been a good thing for the country! Another example of disgrace of our political class.

10. James Bertram , Friday, November 01, 2019, 11:51:

Loved Farage's analogy on Johnson's Surrender Treaty:
Johnson is none other than a spiv second-hand car-dealer, selling you a shiny motor - once you get it home, look under the bonnet, you realise you've been sold a right dud.
The cartoonists and Headline writers will have a field day, and every Tory out campaigning will get quips like 'Want a nice motor, Guv?'
Tories, the laughing-stock.
Brilliant.